Easter 3: The Encounter with Simon Peter 21:1-25

We conclude our study of the gospel of John with one of the most moving stories of the Bible. Peter was the leader of the disciples, yet, in the moments that mattered most he faltered, denying Christ just as the Savior told him he would. John uses this encounter between Jesus and Peter as the finale of his gospel, or as I have stated yesterday, as an epilogue (a summary miracle and statement, or should I say, reinstatement).

One of the things I enjoy about the end of a movie is "the curtain call," a closing scene in which many of the main characters are brought together. In this case, the scene is "The Sea of Tiberias" (or Galilee), home base for Jesus' ministry. At seaside are Peter, Thomas, Nathanael (the one in whom there was no guile in the end of John 1), James and John. I am surprised Andrew is not there and that Nathanael is there. They decide to go out fishing (which says that they still don't realize that the dream of the kingdom is still on). This scene is remarkably similar to when the disciples were first called in Luke 5. In fact, it would be good to read both accounts to get the full impact of what Jesus was doing in John 21.

They don't recognize that it is Jesus on the seashore (just like Mary confused him with the gardener in John 20). They aren't catching fish, so Jesus invites them to cast their nets on the other side. The old phrase I have heard in ministry is "go where the fish are," and "be part of what God is blessing." So many times, the church (preachers included) are not where the fish are. We are doing and saying things by methods that no longer catch new disciples. We are not around them, choosing to spend our time with those who already are disciples. Most United Methodist churches will not have a single person join this year by profession of faith in Jesus Christ. They have cast their nets from the wrong side of the boat. When the disciples do cast their nets where the fish are, they are unable to bring in the load of fish they catch.

Peter then figures out that the fishing tip (not to mention the yield of fish) had come from the Lord. I love it, he puts on clothes before he jumps in the water. When they get to shore, Jesus has breakfast ready (fish and bread - a reminder of a certain feeding in John 6). The haul they are able to bring in has 153 fish. No doubt John was there, the number is unusally precise.

After breakfast, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" In Greek there were three words for "love." The common word was "eros", the word for romantic and erotic love. The love most commonly sung about in our music is "eros." The second word is "philos," from which we get the city name, Philadelphia (the city of "brotherly love"). This is the love shared by family and close friends. The third word is "agape," the Jesus kind of love that is selfless and sacrificial, asking nothing in return.

The question "Do you love me?" is asked three times. The "more than these" part is the fish and the fishing life. The first two times the word "agapao" is used (from agape). And each time, Jesus responds, "Feed my lambs" or "Tend my sheep." Jesus is trying to get Peter's attention that he has a job to do, and going back to what he already knew or what he did before was not it. But the third time Jesus asks the question, he uses the word "phileo", asking "Do you even love me like a brother?" At that question, Peter comes completely apart and with tears in his eyes says, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." I picture a beautiful embrace here. Then Jesus commissions him for ministry for the rest of his life. He even gives a hint as to the sacrifice Peter will give for the gospel. Tradition is that Peter was crucified upside down on an "X" cross, at his own request, because he was not worthy to be crucified in the way that Christ was.

What a great lesson here about failing in life and ministry and God's ability to redeem us and help us start over...that the greatest chapters of our life are often written after loss and failure. I just love this story, because it is also our story.

Following Jesus and Peter is none other than our gospel writer. He is the only disciple who is recorded to have died a natural death. The final verse is a great finish. I can almost hear the music that would go with it.

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

Indeed. What a privilege it has been to share in this study with you. My prayer is that through it the gospel has spoken to you in a fresh way and that now more than ever you have come to "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

Easter 2: The Encounter with Thomas John 20:19-31

Part I: The Appearance to the Disciples (19-23)

Following the horrific death of Jesus, the disciples understandably are in hiding, both in stunned grief and abject fear. Jesus appears to them and says, "Peace be with you," his way of saying "Hello, there." "Shalom" was the typical greeting and for John, of course, it is more than that, as we discovered in John 14, "My peace I give to you." He shows them his hands and side, so his glorified body does go through doors or walls, but the marks of the crucifixion remain. Then just for good measure Jesus repeats his greeting. I imagine it with a bit of a chuckle,seeing the reaction and the shaking heads of the disciples. The disciples are ecstatic.

But not only is Jeuss alive, so is the dream. "As the Father as sent me, so send I you." The mission to transform the world by making present God's alternative way of life (the kingdom) now enters the dimension, he talked about in the Upper Room in John 14 & 15. Jesus is the death that is the seed that goes into the ground and dies so that there will be many more seeds. So he breathes on them (reminds me of Genesis 2 in which God breathed into a creature of dirt and made him a living soul) and tells them to "Receive the Holy Spirit" (the word for Spiritin both Hebrew [ruach] and Greek [pneuma] means "wind" or "breath"). Jesus has come to let them know he has beaten death and also, that the anticipated launch of the kingdom movement into hyperspeed is now to begin as Christ is multiplied in and through them. My guess is that the disciples didn't understand that until Pentecost and beyond. But John who writes this is in his older years does understand. I wonder if we do.

In verse 22, we have another reference to the power of forgiveness and the freedom we have to give it or not give it. It's that "binding and loosing" thing I talked about in the raising of Lazarus and found also in the first confession of Christ by Peter in Matthew 16. God has placed the power to set people loose into new life within us.

The Appearance to the Disciples (24-31)

Thomas has been spoken of earlier. He was the one who sarcastically said, "Let's go die with him, then" when they went to Bethany before raising Lazarus. He was the one who said to Jesus in John 14, "We don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way?" Thomas is a "show me" kind of disciple. He is not there when Jesus appears. Perhaps he had gone on an errand and sneaked out or perhaps he just needed to be alone and get some air. The giddy enthusiasm of the other disciples seems wishful thinking at best and delusional at worst. He's not buying.

A week later (a week of hearing the disciples say over and over that they saw Jesus alive), Jesus comes through still locked doors. For the third time in just 7 verses, Jesus says, "Peace be with you." Then he meets Thomas on the terms he stated, inviting him to put his fingers in the prints of the nails in his hands and put his hands in the hollow of his side. There comes a time when doubting must give way to belief. But Jesus did meet him in his doubts, a fact in which I take great comfort. Thomas then calls him, "My Lord and my God."

The last words to Thomas (in verse 29) are more about you and me than him. Only a very few got to see and believe, billions would not see and believe. The two verses that follow comprise what some manuscripts have as the ending of John's gospel. It certainly makes a great ending. But there is an epilogue to the gospel of John - the Easter encounter with Peter. Our study in the gospel of John will conclude with that tomorrow.

Easter I: Encounter with Mary Magdalene John 20:1-18

One of the remarkable things about the Easter accounts is how much they vary. In John's account, as has been the case throughout his gospel, the appearances happen mainly for the benefit of certain individuals: Mary Magdalene, Thomas and Peter.

Mary comes to the garden tomb and sees that the stone has been moved away, but she evidently doesn't go in (perhaps she only saw it from a distance and ran for help). She immediately gets Peter and John to come see and they go inside. The relationship of Peter and John at the end of this gospel is interesting. He is with him at the denial. They are together at the empty tomb. They are also together in the early ministry after Pentecost (Acts 3-4). We know that Peter, Andrew, James and John were associates in the fishing business. But Andrew and James seem to fade at this point of the story. John mentions that he is the first to walk to the empty tomb, because he outran Peter (he would have been 20-30 years younger than old Pete), but he only looks in. As we might expect, Peter walks right in. The scene is eerie, with the shell of perfumed linens now empty and the facecloth folded neatly. John then goes in and sees for himself. The body of Christ has been removed, and the disciples fear the worst. To add insult to injury, someone has stolen the Master's body - and they will be blamed for it. Who removed it? Certainly, not the soldiers. But what about those who set up the whole plot? Had they set this all up so the disciples would be implicated, arrested, and executed, too? They return to tell the other disciples.

Mary stays behind. But she sees something in addition, two angels. They ask why she is crying, and then a "gardener" from behind her asks the same thing. She doesn't recognize that the gardner is Jesus until he calls her by name. Did Jesus look that different that she doesn't recognize him? Or was she so consumed with grief that she cannot see him for who he is? What a moment that must have been when she realizes she is seeing Jesus back from the dead! But he already clues her in that his time with her and anybody else will be limited. He will be going to the Father.

Two songs come to mind that try to capture the moment. Both are available for your viewing on youtube.com: "He's Alive" by Don Francisco (either by him or by Dolly Parton are great renditions) and "I've Just Seen Jesus" (duet with Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris). Mary goes to the disciples to share the news, but they are not sure that they buy it. They will have to see for themselves...and so they shall.

Death and Burial John 19:28-42

The Death of Jesus

In verses 28-30, we read the fifth and sixth words from the Seven Last Words of Jesus. The fifth word is "I thirst." John is right, his reference to thirst fulfills the scriptures, but it is also one of the profound sensations of crucifixion. The constant motion, struggle for breath and trauma caused severe dehydration. All four gospels mention that Jesus was offered a hyssop (a sponge with wine vinegar) that helped not only satisfy thirst but dull the pain a bit.

The sixth word is indeed just one word that we translate "It is finished," a word of resignation and triumph at the same time. He has completed the task of dying for the sins of the whole world and making his life a representation of God's alternative kingdom in the world. From here on, it would happen through generations of others. In John's gospel, Jesus dies after saying this word. Other gospels have him saying other things as his last word. The seventh of the Last Words of Jesus comes from Luke's gospel (23:46), "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit".

Those who died by crucifixion did not bleed to death, but rather suffocated. When they were no longer able to prop themselves up by their legs or arms, they could no longer get their breath. That's why breaking the legs of the crucified would have hastened their demise. But Jesus is already gone. In Mark's gospel, Pilate is surprised Jesus went so quickly. The piercing of Jesus in his side was indeed a fulfillment of scripture (Zechariah 12:10), but the mixture of blood and water was a signal that his suffocation was complete. The mixture was also a signal that the individual had been through severe psychological and emotional trauma. Some scholars have noted that Jesus quite literally "died of a broken heart."

Burial by two Secret Disciples

Joseph of Arimathea (a wealthy secret disciple of Jesus) and Pharisee Nicodeums (now mentioned for the third time in John's gospel) ask for Christ's body and he is the first to be buried in Joseph's family garden tomb. Jesus was buried by Jewish custom (a mumification of sorts) with layered strips of linen that were held together by myrrh and aloes (a paste like substance that both perfumed and formed a shell around his body) with a seperate linen for his face. A similar thing had been done to Lazarus in John 11. Good Friday is now over and the Sabbath (what we call Holy Saturday) has begun. But as the great sermon of Tony Campolo says, "But Sunday's Comin'!"

Sentencing and Crucifixion John 19:1-27

Where John handles major events of Jesus at length compared to the other gospel writers, the crucifixion is actually shorter.

The Sentencing (19:1-16)

John says simply that Jesus was flogged. But flogging was more for the discouragement of similar behavior than for the punishment of the criminal. The flogging victim would be obliged to bend over a pointed rock at the pit of his stomach and then have a cat-of-nine tails (a whip with nine lashes that were covered with shards of embedded rock) take the flesh and adjoining cartilage etc of the victim's back. Many never survived a flogging. The soldiers enjoyed the sport of it all and Jesus is certainly no exception, the twisted crown of thorns, the royal robe for "the king". They beat him about the face such that he would probably been unrecognizable.

When Pilate says in verse 5, "Behold the man!," it is in cruel sarcasm, for he is yet another man that has been broken before the might of Rome. Pilate is quite willing for the whole thing to end there, for he has broken Jesus to the point where he was utterly harmless, hoping that would appease the whole situation. So twice now he has tried to avoid crucifying Jesus, once by offering them Barabbas and once by embarrassing his accusers for such pitiful charges.

But Pilate underestimates the zeal and runaway coldness of these religious leaders. They cry out for Jesus' crucifixion. Their accusation of his claim to be the Son of God disturbs Pilate. We know from Matthew 27:19 that Pilate has further fears for his own wife has had a dream and asks Pilate to not have anything to do with the plot on Jesus. He tries to get Jesus to defend himself, but he does not. Pilate claims to have life or death power over him, but Jesus contests it saying only God has that power. Remember however that his claim to be the Son of God was more of a religious crime than a state one (though later emperors would be called "son of the gods" and even "lord of lords.").

Beginning in verse 12, the crowd (surely at the insistence of the coaching religious leaders) takes up the chant that Pilate is allowing a rival to assert himself as king instead of Caesar (a capital crime in the eyes of the Roman state). Pilate toys with the crowd asking if he should crucify "their" king, which only incenses them more. Finally, Pilate caves and allows the crucifixion.

Just a word about mob violence. Reinhold Niehbuhr called sin in groups "collective egoism," and said that the sin of groups is usually more than the sum of the sinfulness of the individuals involved. In other words, groups create their own energy and will toward sin that individuals on their own would not do. We have seen that in street riots, athletic stadium violence and gang activity. It also happens in groups in school politics, or governmental politics, or dare I admit it, in church politics. Here the religious leaders have manipulated a hand-picked crowd to do things they would never have done on their own, and they would no doubt have justified themselves in doing it. For me, this is an important dimension of the crucifixion. When we say that Jesus died for our sins, we are also saying he died for corporate sin as well as individual sin.

The Crucifixion (19:17-27)

Pilate continues to be "the great manipulator" (he was later removed from his post because of his underhanded, cruel and vicious leadership)as he taunts his accusers with the placard on the cross. Usually, the crime is put on the placard, which might have said, "sedition" or "claimed to be a king," but instead he had place there "King of the Jews." It was his parting shot at the ridiculous behavior of the religious leaders.

It's worth noting at this point that it was not "the Jews" (as a religious group or as an ethnic group) that engineered the plot against Jesus, but rather a power-hungry, status quo protecting leadership group. There has been much anti-Semitism in USAmerican religion that has accused Jews in general for the death of Christ (which could not be more untrue).

The sport of the soldiers continues at the cross as they divide his clothing among them and cast lots for his inner garment. Most likely, Jesus was crucified without clothing. Remember that the goal of the gratutitously cruel and dehumanizing process of crucifixion was meant to deter any kind of rebellion. Stripped of dignity and beaten beyond recognition, crucified ones desparately pushed their legs and braced their arms against the nails and gasped for every breath in a slow death that often took days - the ultimate in agony and humiliation. During this time in Roman rule, crucifixions were common at the edge of most major cities.

Our passage concludes with what is known as the second of "The Last Words" of Jesus. It is where Jesus puts his mother in the care of John. He was one of the younger disciples so he would be more able to care for her for a longer time. The homes of the two of them can still be seen in ancient Ephesus today (as mentioned in an earlier blog). The words in verse 25-27 are full of passion. Jesus calls her his pet name, "woman," the one he used at the marriage of Cana. He tells John that she is his mother now and that he is her son, a tough moment indeed.

The crucifixion is an intensely human event: threated and power-hungry leaders who dehumanize a man so that they are able to do anything to him; sporting assistants who have become part of a process in which the people they oppose are objects for cruelty and sadistic punishment; a small crowd manipulated by propoganda and fear to be part of the unthinkable; disciples who run for it to save their own skins or betray because things are not going as hoped; a son who gives away his beloved mother because he has no other choice - a horrific goodbye. When I see the real dynamics here, I fear we would still crucify Jesus and the same kinds of tatics (just maybe more high tech) would likely occur. For me, this begs for a time of examination of conscience where I look at the motives for what I do as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as a human being both as an individual and in groups.

A True and False Exam John 18:15-40

In the latter part of the gospel, you will find references to “the other disciple” (18:15). In the Easter story “the other disciple” outruns Peter to the tomb (John 20:3). At the crucifixion, he is called “the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 19:26).” That disciple is none other than John himself. He here claims to have been with Peter when he denied Jesus. The denials happen right outside the high priest’s house.

At the same time, Jesus is interrogated by Annas. Because he doesn’t “cave in” to the high priest he is abused. Annas sends Jesus to his nephew, Caiaphas (the one with whom the role of high priest was exchanged year after year).

The second and third denials happen at the same location. One of them is Malchus’ relative (Jesus followers rarely get away with anything). In the synoptics, Peter’s Galilean accent is also cited as evidence. The rooster crows and Jesus’ prediction of the denials in John 13:31-38 is fulfilled.

Note already that several laws have been broken. There were to be no secret trials and they were only to happen in the daytime. There also had to be corroborating witnesses (which there were not). But the accusers of Jesus have a problem. Their real charge is blasphemy for claiming to be God’s Son. Jewish law called for the death penalty for such a crime, but Roman law did not allow the Jews to enforce it. They would need something else, which they eventually did – the charge of sedition (for claiming to be king). Jesus claims to be a king of a “different kingdom” (the kingdom of God).

The trial finishes with the famous line of Pilate, “What is truth?” We need not get too philosophical over this question. Pilate was a master manipulator with almost no conscience. Truth was what he decided or what other powerful people decided was truth. Interestingly, the passage shows how distorted things would get. The pre-chosen group chooses to free Barabbas (a known seditionist and insurrectionist). The name Bar-abbas was certainly an alias, literally meaning “son of papa.” How ironic that the “son of papa” goes free, while the true son of the Father is prepared for crucifixion.

The other interesting tradition is that Barabbas’ real name might have been Jesus. The people may have been choosing between Jesus who is called Bar-abbas and Jesus who is called Christ. Pilate asks “What is truth?” and the people choose the lie. Again, we see the power of corrupt spiritual leadership and the depths to which it will go.

The Arrest John 18:1-14 (Today's Reading)

We now arrive at John's version of the Garden of Gethsemane. This quiet and rugged place was a place the disciples came to often. Judas arrives, knowing well that was where Jesus would likely be. A religious posse approaches with all kinds of weapons to take Jesus. When Jesus says "I am he," the arresting people fall to the ground. No doubt John is thinking of the other times he has written "I Am" statements about Jesus (before Abraham was, "I am"; "I am the bread of life," "I am the living water," "I am the light of the world." They speak of both his humanity and his divinity as the Son of God.

Jesus, like a good leader, takes the risk upon himself and asks that the disciples be let go. But Peter is not going to go down without a fight and defends his Savior (only John tells us that the one who lost his ear and had it restored was Malchus). Jesus rebukes Peter. Soon Peter will prove to be a very fickle defender in just a few verses.

The posse brings Jesus before Annas. I've already discussed the corrupt relationship between Annas, Caiaphas and the Herods. This plot is so thorough in its execution that it defies any sense of decency or rightness. They are "spiritual leaders" and yet their self-protection and corruption has made them wicked beyond description. I used to be quick to pass judgment on them, but I have discovered over time that it can happen to any one of us.

We are now about to enter into the religious and secular trials of Jesus. The Pharisees (the liberals of the day) and the Saducees (the conservatives) have now become "bedfellows" in opposition to Jesus. Where might you find yourself in these characters around the arrest and crucifixion(the conservative or liberal religious leaders, the disciples, the pawns of the leaders, the family members, Herod, Pilate, Jesus, the stunned crowd)?

The Real Lord's Prayer John 17:1-25 (Monday's Reading!)

I know, we say "The Lord's Prayer" every Sunday (Matthew 6, Luke 11). But it really is a model for how we are to pray. The prayer in John 17 is not a pattern to follow, but Jesus' actual prayer before his arrest and crucifixion. I wonder how John knew about this prayer. Did Jesus pray it in front of the disciples or did John somehow overhear it (the other gospels do not refer to it)? It is really a prayer of relinquishment in which Jesus gives over responsibility for those who he has been in ministry with during the previous three years. This moving and powerful prayer also has a future edge.

"Glorify Your Son" (17:1-5)

The intimacy of these words is striking, a statement from a son to a Father. "Dad, I'm done now. Tell me if I did a good job." Jesus is ready to return to the relationship they had before he became flesh. He has brought glory to God through his obedience and self-sacrfice. He now needs the validation and sense of His Father's presence.

Prayer for the Disciples (17:6-19)

The whole success of the mission of making present the kingdom of God is now about to be put at risk in the disciples. Jesus will not be able to restrain them from wrong actions or bad decisions, like he could on earth. Besides, it has become abundantly clear that the disciples are not fully "getting it," and that it will be really tough on them, maybe more than Jesus expected. So Jesus prays for them. By the way, according to Romans 8, Jesus through the Spirit still prays and intercedes for us.

He prays for four basic things for the disciples: 1) protection from despair,falling away and from "the evil one", 2) for their unity, as they will soon be scattered and needed to regroup, 3)for their joy, 4)and for their ability to stay holy and true. Jesus asks the Father to "sanctify" them, which means to "set them apart as holy." It has the notion of cleansing in it, but even more, it is a sense of purpose and calling for which Jesus is praying. For the disciples, it will seem as though everything was over, but it is actually going to be a new beginning for them, should they be open to it. Jesus sets himself apart for the cross, so that the disciples will be able to set themselves apart for the purpose of taking the good news of God's life-changing, society-changing love to the world.

Prayer for Disciples Yet to Come - Like You and Me!
(17:20-25)

The same things he prays for his disciples, he now prays for all those who follow. For John, this part of the prayer would be richer as the years went by - the early Jewish converts, and the surpising success among the "God fearers" and Gentiles. Jesus' vision for the kingdom was much bigger than he thought...and so it continues to be. So he prays for unity (something the church has always struggled with), for glory (both in eternal life and in close relationship with the Father and with Christ), and that they too will be the incarnation of God's love. What a visionary and high-minded prayer this is. I'm beginning to wonder if memorizing this prayer might be as important as memorizing the other Lord's Prayer we say each week. It has our job description in it.

"More on the Holy Spirit" John 16:5-33 (Friday's & Saturday's Reading!)

Well it's time to catch up. Last week, my schedule got way out of control. So I'm getting back to a little more regular sleeping pattern (which is a good thing) this week. In the first part of the Upper Room Discourse, we were introduced to the Holy Spirit as the no-longer confined to a single body presence of Christ in and through us. The Spirit was described as our "inner tutor" or teacher in 14:25-26. Here the Spirit is described as the one who keeps us truly Christian.

When I was growing up people would say "The Holy Spirit is your conscience." It reminds me of the cartoons in which there would be a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other trying to sway Fred Flinstone toward good or evil. I believe that the Holy Spirit is a lot more than conscience, but it does seem to be part of it. There is a ministry of "conviction" that the Spirit provides, a sense that we are out of step with God's ways and His purposes for our lives. When we are in sin, it tends to show up as guilt (guilt can be a good thing), and when we are nursing bad attitudes it tends to show up as a gnawing discomfort. Both are meant to spur us to repentance and to change of attitude and behavior. When we ignore that ministry of God in us, we can grow spiritually and relationally cold, what Paul calls "grieving the Holy Spirit." I don't like this ministry of the Holy Spirit (I would rather be guilt and shame-free), but it is absolutely necessary if we are going to authentically follow Jesus.

In verses 17-33, Jesus returns to preparing them for his coming death. They soon are to experience a grief like they have never known - the loss of a friend, the apparent end of a movement and their reason for living. The disciples have followed him for three years, leaving their work and their families, so that being Jesus followers is who and what they are. But Jesus promises that their sorrow will become joy. Interestingly, the joy of hollow victory will happen for Jesus' opponents - picture the high priest and his cronies giving high fives to each other when Jesus is crucified. The agony of defeat is for Jesus, his famil, his disciples and his friends. But that all reverses by Sunday morning!

The big message here is that in the lowest points of our lives (what seems to be our end) is when joy and new beginnings seem to enter the picture. I have watched it in the lives of hundreds of people and have experienced it personally. Like the Phoenix that rises from the ashes, joy trumps sorrow, and the empty tomb trumps the crucifixion.

"In the world you will have trouble", says Jesus, "but take heart, because I have overcome the world."

This, too, is a ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Romans 8:11 that the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in us. So we, too, by the grace of God, become "overcomers," not just someday in heaven, but over and over through the tough times of our lives. That makes me want to just about shout - which is saying quite a bit for a hybrid United Methodist/Presbyterian!

"Discipleship is not a Popularity Contest" John 15:18-16:4

A favorite gift my grandmother gave me was a book entitled "A Lover's Quarrel with the World." I don't remember much about the book, but I loved the title, because I believe it sums up the balance that it takes to follow Jesus in our daily lives. We are called to love each other and love the world the way Jesus loves. At the same time, we are not of this world and the kingdom movement we are in is a direct challenge to the way the world operates. The contrasts are vivid: "Might makes right" vs. "Turn the other cheek"; "Bigger is better" vs. "give away all you have to those who have less"; "Pre-emptive strikes and self-preservation vs. the Golden Rule; "He who has the gold rules" vs. the Golden rule; majority rule vs. the righteous remnant; etc, etc. The kingdom movement of Jesus Christ is as intensely counter-cultural as it is intensely loving. That's why the world hates true Christianity and why the cross is the symbol of our movement. Yes, it wins in the end, but at a horrendous price.

There is a caution, forever. True Christianity will make you controversial, but being controversial doesn't necessarily make you Christian! Some people just enjoy creating a ruckus and that is not what Jesus is talking about.

But how do we respond when people misunderstand, reject, and set us up for the fall? My normal response is to personalize it, see it as a personal attack and respond by becoming defensive, isolated and isolating. By isolating, I mean that I tend to isolate the offender. And the truth is those who do "hate us" or attack are being personal, but they are doing so because they have been offended, exposed or made uncomfortable (which none of us likes). When we show those around us the power-hungry and manipulative, selfish, dishonest and deceitful, oppressive and bigoted motivations of people and group processes, they will react in denial and anger. Even if we do it properly by "speaking the truth in love." But the reaction is not so much to us as the message and confrontation we have lovingly brought. For me, that means that I must remember that making disciples for the transformation of the world is God's gig, and I am just a player in it. Just because people don't like the music doesn't make it bad or wrong. Jesus says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

Jesus tells this to his disciples and to us so that when the reaction comes we will not lose heart. This is very much like the class session we had about "the backside of the mountain" and about being the church not being easy in this century (or any century for that matter). It is a fantastic and amazing privilege to be a Jesus follower and there are times when it is just plain tough and painful. The key to surviving those challenges is realizing that there is a bigger work going on. We need not personalize, but we do need to stay prayed up.

"Abiding in the Vine" John 15:1-17

The Pruning Process - 15:1-4

How I remember my first coaching lesson about pruning rose bushes. I proudly showed a church member how I had reshaped the bushes and cut away some the runners that had become unmanageable. The person said, "You didn't prune this. You need to cut it back much more than that." I said, "If I do what you say, it will look bare and ugly." He said, "For now. But in a few weeks you will like what you see. Trust me." He was right, of course. God uses the tough times in our lives as pruning experiences, too. He doesn't send them, but he can and does use them. When I look back, my faith and my greater ministry have been built not as much on my celebrations and victories as my struggles and losses. Don't you just hate that? But I guess if we're going to have difficulties, we might as well get something good out of it. But there is one qualifier: we must be abiding in the vine - nurturing our relationship with God through prayer, study, and obedient action. Trials in themselves do not quarantee positive benefit unless we are open to them doing so.

It's All About Fruit 15:5-8

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors in dealing with people: lots of sincere intentions, lots of attention to how we look, etc. But, in the end, what does the fruit look like? Are we demonstrating a growing faith and changed life? Are we loving some people we didn't used to love? Are we blessing people and situations in the name of Christ? Are we standing against those things that degrade and tear down? Branches that don't bear fruit aren't productive or useful. And our lack of fruit betrays a bad connection with the vine. We can't just decide, "Hey, I'll be fruitful and productive today." Fruitfulness is a developmental concept: requiring nutrition, water, cultivation and growth.

The Best Fruit of All 15:9-11

Agape love is such an amazing and revolutionary concept, a love that is unconditional, self-sacrificing, vulnerable, resilient, gentle and tough.
But love is more than an emotion or a disposition, it is active, obedient to God's call and to the mandate of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells his disciples to love each other as he has loved them. It would be worth surveying the ministry of Jesus with his disciples and noting how he loved them: his patience with their doubts and misunderstandings, his willingness to confront attitudes that were contrary to the kingdom, his taking the hits for disciple failures, his willingness to stay in there with those who would deny and betray, etc.

Friendship with Jesus 15:12-17

A song that has taken force internationally in the church is called "I Am a Friend of God." It sings,

Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me, when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me, it's amazing
CHORUS:
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

We are friends not just because we are loved by Jesus, but also because Jesus has let us fully in on who he is and what he is doing - and invited us into it. And all of this has been at Christ's initiative. He has chosen us.

That leads to another issue: Who is chosen? John Calvin taught that God's election was such that we really could not refuse his choosing of us, that God's choice was made and people were chosen for eternal life or eternal condemnation. As United Methodists, we disagree. We believe that there were those who chose not to follow Jesus even if Jesus chose them. In other words, we can refuse grace and often do. At the same time, we believe in prevenient grace, the grace that begins with God's wooing us into relationship with Him. In the words of John's first love, "It's not that we loved God, but that he loved us first." Chosenness is about initiative not about determinism or lack of choice. I'll stop here for now.

"The Paraclete" John 14:15-31

In verse 16, Jesus promises to give the disciples "another counselor," sometimes translated "another comforter," or "another advocate." The word in Greek is paracletos, literally "one called along side to help." There are two words for another in Greek, heteros and allos. Heteros means another of a different kind, while allos means of the same kind. The word here is allos. Jesus is giving the disciples one just like him that "will be with them forever." What Jesus promises to them and us is his presence portable and accessible to them 24/7. Jesus has described how he is in the Father and the Father is in him. Now he adds us to that. We are in him (and in the Father) and he (and the Father) are in us. When we sing the hymn "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine," it is the Holy Spirit dimension of God that makes that real.

Jesus hooks together our love for him with obedience. In Luke 6:46, right before he tells the parable about the wise and foolish builders, Jesus says,

"Why do you call me,'Lord,Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

It's as if Jesus is saying, "I'm sorry, but your actions or lack of them are drowning out your words." Our obedience also sharpens our awareness of God's presence, while our disobedience dulls it. I don't mean that that there aren't times when it is hard to feel God's presence. I do mean that following Christ step by step in the power of the Spirit in obedient action does make us more atuned to what God is doing.

In I Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel rebukes Saul, saying "Obedience is better than sacrifice." It's not about religious showmanship or even doing occassionally that which is heroic that pleases God. It is our willingness to be obedient, even when no one else is watching. What are we to be obedient to? First, we are to be obedient to God's leading, whether it is for our gain or our loss, our comfort or our pain. Second, we are to be obedient to his standards of life, which are governed by his holiness and his love. Third, we are to be obedient to his call to make disciples of all nations. Fourth, we are to be obedient to love one another, even those of us that are less lovable. Is your track record for obedience as mixed as mine?

Thankfully, we are not left on our own. We have the Holy Spirit within to remind us of what we know and who and whose we are. We have an inner tutor and mentor, who helps get us back on track. And the secondary gift of that presence is a special kind of peace. I have learned to trust that peace - that sense that God is with me and in what I am experiencing and everything is going to be OK, in fact more than OK. But I have learned not to equate peace with comfort or the status quo. There is a peace that comes even in difficulty, controversy and even outright loss, a peace that this world could never give. It is the gift of God.

"The Way to the Father" John 14:1-14

We are now in the main part of what scholars call "The Upper Room Discourse," a set of teachings offered to prepare the disciples for when he was no longer with them. In chapter 13:33 he says, "My children, I will be with you only a little longer." They have no idea the horrible ordeal they are about to endure in the following days. The teachings in John 14-17 would mean much more after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Verses 1 and 27 form a framework for this teaching with the repeated phrase, "Do not let your hearts be troubled..."

First, Jesus tries to comfort them with words about the after-life. He is going "to the Father" and will be preparing places for them. I was raised with the King James Version in which it reads "In my father's house are many mansions." I have always loved that old hymn, "I've got a mansion, just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old." Maybe you have joked with others around you about what kind of housing certain people will have in heaven: palatial estates for faithful long-term saints and "pup tents" for the less saintly or death-bed confessioners. But the new translations are likely more accurate, with the metaphor of a huge house with many, many specially prepared rooms.

As we have seen many times before, Jesus' figurative conversation is misinterpreted as literal. In describing "the way," Jesus is not talking about an itinerary. He is talking about a way to be in relationship with the Father, as being a resident of this big, big house. One of my favorite early songs by the group Audio Adrenaline (from the 1990s) is "Big House." It sings,

"Come and go with me to my Father's house. It's a big, big house with lots and lots of room, a big, big table with lots and lots of food, a big, big yard where we can play football. A big, big house. It's my Father's house."

This is one of the places in scripture (along side Acts 4:12) that makes witnessing in our multi-religious environment challenging. It is important to note what this passage does not say, namely, that all other religions are going to hell. Jesus states without any condemnation that he is the way to the Father. There is no doubt that the early Christians experienced something decisive, that in Jesus they encountered God in a way they had not previously - even though they had faith in God already. Through Jesus they came to know the Father and we enter that relationship the same way. When I am sharing my Christian faith with those of other religious beliefs, I do not condemn or threaten, but I do share the difference that Christ has made in my life. But this needs to be where a growing relationship is already in process. The old adage is true, "People don't care what you know until they know how much you care."

Jesus clarifies with them that all they have experienced together with Jesus was to show them what God is really like: the love they have developed, the teachings they have learned, the miracles they have seen and done. But even all that was preparatory for what God the Father would do through them if they believed. Verse 12 is a mind blower,

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

I can't imagine doing greater things than feeding 5, 000 with five dinner rolls and two fish sticks or raising the dead. But what I believe Jesus is saying that before he went to the Father everything was limited to what he could do. Jesus walked only about 150 miles of this planet and ministered only for three years, as an individual. What if the power of God could be made portable in many believers? Then the impact would be multiplied. That will be the topic of tomorrow's blog, coming from the rest of John 14.

But before we leave this passage, verses 13 and 14 have often been considered in extremes. One extreme ignores them, as if Jesus didn't really mean it. Christians of this sort tend to see prayer as a way of calling on a general influence for good but with very little results. As one preacher said in jest, "Blessed are those who don't expect much in prayer, for they will not be disappointed." The other extreme uses these verses to control the hand of God. If I pray fervently and believe strongly than God must do as I ask.

A middle ground is called for. First, we are told to ask "in His name," which is not a magic formula, but rather praying it as a proxy for Jesus (in other words we believe this is what Jesus wants, not just us). God may have a greater purpose in mind and need to achieve what we pray for in a different way than we pray. God has the freedom to say yes to our prayers, to say no to them, or to say "wait a while." Prayer in faith is not twisting God's arm to fit our desires. Second, we are invited to boldly ask God for anything, for nothing is impossible. Our faith is part of the equation that sets loose the hand of God in our lives and in our world. Bottom line: We believe and pray openly and confidently, but we don't arm twist, because in the end, the Father is still God, and we are not.

"The Betrayal" John 13:18-38

The betrayal of Jesus by Judas in John's gospel is much more direct in pointing out Judas. Jesus quotes David in Psalm 41:9, "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." The images here are vivid. To break bread together in Jewish culture is a statement of relationship and trust. When we sing at communion, "Let us break bread together on our knees," I wonder if we are thinking about the activity we are participating in or the relationship that is also to be implied. The lifting up of the heel is probably a reference of a faithful horse that suddenly lifts a heel and kicks its owner, causing great pain. For John, Judas had been a long-term problem. Jesus had allowed him to get away with too much. John would have removed him from the treasury because of his dishonesty, but Jesus kept giving him room to change. Judas did not.

The disciples are at a loss as to who would betray him. In the other gospels, we have the repeated phrase, "Lord, is it I?" But here, John himself asks Jesus, "Who is it?" Then Jesus hands the bread to Judas and tells him to go do what he has planned. But the disciples do not get it and think that Jesus is just sending him out to get more food.

Following Judas' departure, Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for what is to come and to set the foundation for their ministry together after he is gone. In verses 34-35, he gives the guiding principle for that ministry,

"A new command I give you: Love on another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The verb for "love" is agapao. It is a love built on primacy of the other person and his or her needs. We will talk about this more in John 21. But it is the chief indicator of Christian fellowship - initiating, self-sacrificing love.

Jesus finishes by telling Peter about an upcoming failure of his own. Peter is so heroic, and yet soon he will discover that he too is vulnerable to falling.

"Washing Feet" John 13:1-17

Yesterday, we went to Fort Worth and shopped for shoes for Tina. John Landers of St. Barnabas has been in that business for his entire professional career. He's good at it. He shared with us, "Everybody ought to sell shoes at least once in their lifetime. It's very humbling, helping people with their feet." People feel strongly about their feet. Some like the looks of their feet and some do not. Yet, there is no feeling quite like being in your bare feet along the beach or walking on a nice lawn. Feet are also the parts of our body that take the most abuse.

Peter, in our scripture passage, understood the humilty part about feet. About 35 years ago, I was at my first footwashing. It was part of a retreat. For people who are comfortable with themselves and like their feet, footwashing is "cool." For those of us who have groty feet and think that socks are a truly divine gift, it was quite another. I remember feeling awkward, uncomfortable and strangely vulnerable. I gladly washed someone else's feet, but for me it was much like Peter.

But for Peter there was a more important lesson going on. Peter saw Jesus as his master, as his authority. He was to wash the Master's feet, not the reverse. Here the master who has healed the sick, walked on water and raised the dead is now washing the feet of his servants. Jesus was modeling the proper use of power as a servant leader. It's the only kind of leader there is in the kingdom.

But as I see this scene, I am once again reminded of the beginning of chapter 12, when Jesus had his own feet washed with anointing oil. Jesus, as a servant leader, was not above needing the love and grace of others. Authentic service often begins with being able to authentically receive. Many Christians are "giving machines," enjoying the sense of significance they feel at sharing of themselves, but uncomfortable when someone shares with them. There is a sense of powerlessness we sometimes feel when we are the receiver, and dare we admit it, a sense power when we are the giver. Jesus was both a gracious and open receiver as well as a generous giver. Leadership in the kingdom requires that we become both.

"The Inertia of the Status Quo" John 12:37-50

Newton's First Law (Inertia) states,

"An object in motion tends to stay in motion,and an object at rest tends to stay at rest,unless the object is acted upon by an outside force."

Paul Nixon, in his book, Finding Jesus on the Metro, ask the question of whether our congregation is made up of pilgrims or settlers. Pilgrims are on a journey to a destination while settlers are putting down roots in a place of their choosing (they are through journeying). Another way of saying this, "Is Christianity at St. Barnabas a movement or is it an institution?" If we are an institution, we will tend to ask questions like: "Who are we and what do we stand for?" "How do we get people to be more supportive and faithful?" "Are we doing what the members want to do?" If we are a movement, we will ask questions like: "Who are we becoming in carrying out God's call to make disciples for the transformation of the world?" "How can get the people of the church into the world for witness and service?"

Properly, some things do need to be structured and institutionalized. It's what gives a movement endurance through many changes and challenges. Having certain prayers, hymns and common understandings of faith can be important. Having structures for financial issues and building concerns is necessary. The movement has then enough stability to be there for the long haul. But not long into the movement, it must decide whether the priority is for preservation or for the mission. If it is for mission, then stability must be secondary to dynamism - the ability to respond and adapt in the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the call of Christ. It is the original sin of religion to promote stability over dynamism, to gradually develop an institutional rather than a mission mindset. In most churches, that shows up in about the 7th-10th year and it is the single reason why most churches peak in their first six years.

The Pharisees had become so strongly instutionalized that anything different than what they already did or believed became a threat. they also had established a powerful presence among the people of their communities, so that those who found Jesus ministry believable couldn't say so without reprisals. There have been times both in local churches and even at Annual Conference, when I have been told not to bring up new or contrary points of view, because it would offend others and be counter-productive.

A good exercise for today would be to consider the ministries of our church and ask which are more movement-oriented and what are more institution-oriented. Is our church more stable or more dynamic? Inertia is ever present. Missional, movement-orieted, dynamic churches have to constantly pray and work to stay that way.

"The Whole World Has Gone After Him!" John 12:12-36

The above words were said by the enemies of Jesus in 12:19, and they had not a clue of how right they were. Verses 20-33 describe the Greeks who request to see Jesus. The Pharisees treated Jesus like the leader of an authorized cult leader inside the Jewish faith. The "whole world" was just an exagerrated phrase to say that things were getting way out of hand. But John sees the future coming, when Gentiles would become the dominant responders to the Christian witness. The verse that brings this all together is verse 32,

"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

When I was a teenager we sang a chorus called "Lift Jesus Higher." It sang, "Lift Jesus higher, lift Jesus higher. Lift him up for the world to see. He said, 'If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.'" It was a vibrant praise song, but I have often thought about the double meaning of being "lifted up." We lift Christ up in praise now, but it was his being lifted up through crucifixion that created a worldwide movement.

The chanting of the crowd was for a revolutionary people's champion. The quote about the donkey comes from Zechariah 9:9. This image is also part of Mexican history. But Jesus did not come as they expected. He was a revolutionary of a different kind, a ruler over an alternative kingdom. The passage says that even the disciples didn't understand what was really happening.

I find in vs. 24 a spiritual principle that this true at many levels.

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

The work of God has "cross experiences" in which the price is paid for a later yield. Sometimes that means in following Jesus, we are called to pay the price for the benefit of others. It also means that God can take our loss experiences and do great and mighty things with them.

Finally, one of the questions often raised about the Palm Sunday ride is how the crowd turned from "Hosanna" on Sunday to "Crucify Him" on Friday. We all know that people can be really fickle. We enjoy setting people as heroes only to revel in bringing them down (a few athletes, entertainers and politicians come immediately to mind). As true as that is, I believe there is another answer - that the crowd on Good Friday is a different one. The area around Golgotha was actually quite small, a far cry from the movie depictions. The trial of Jesus was perfectly orchestrated by his enemies and the crowd that hollered "Crucify him" had been invited to do just that. Those sympathetic to Jesus were simply not invited.

"Extravagant Love " John 12:1-11

On the day after Valentine's Day, we see an example in this passage of extreme devotion. The pint of pure nard was extremely valuable and was often passed on to a young woman as her dowry. To break it as she does would mean it could only be used once. The scene must have moved those who were in the house and at the same time made them uncomfortable - talk about extreme vulnerability.

John's description of Judas is the most hostile of the disciples (noting that his betrayal was really just the worst of the many ways he looked out for #1 at the expense of others). But Judas is right. The act is gratuitous, a waste of something valuable than will never be able to be recovered. This act was irrational. The place was overcome with the smell of the perfume in an enclosed place. But where there is love, there is unnecessary and gratuitous expense with irrational behaviors! Few prospective grooms can really afford the ring they buy for their fiancee and few families can afford the expense of a wedding. We do crazy things for love.

Might I suggest that this is exactly the way God has loved us. John writes in the first of his letters in chapter 3, verse 1,

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!"

You and I are daily recipients of God's "over the top" love, even though sometimes we are not responsive to it at all.

One of the great questions in this passage is "What if Jesus had not honored the gift and instead pronounced judgment on it the way that Judas did?" But Jesus honors her gift. The words he says in verse 8 can be disturbing,

"You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

It would be a misunderstanding and a denial of the rest of Christ's ministry to say that Jesus was okay with poverty. But he was saying that there are sacred moments when extravagance can be wonderful.

But the ominous part of this is verse 7, something Mary did not likely intend. He says it was preparation for burial. In truth, nard was one of the perfumes used in burial. This is a bridge verse that later becomes the focus of the next 7 1/2 chapters of the gospel.

I'm going to end the blog today with this story. Mary's devotion had a freedom and abandon in it that captures my soul. I want to be that fully devoted to Christ, loving with a reckless abandon. How about you?

"Taking Off the Grave Clothes" John 11:38-56

This is an amazing miracle, certainly the most dramatic of all the ones Jesus did. It is also a wonderful description of what can happen to us as we follow Jesus.

"Take away the stone!"

"The man's been dead for four days. He's gonna stink1" says Mary. Again the tension of the story is drawn tighter. But isn't it true that when we come to the Lord, even after we have committed our lives to him, that we have to own up to the parts of our lives that stink and have been deteriorating for far too long? What might you need to give to the Lord for his life-giving and restoring touch?

"Lazarus, come forth!"

At Christ's command, Lazarus walks out, wrapped up like a mummy, smelling like a perfume factory. At the crucifixion, there is an earthquake where people who had been dead walk the streets of Jerusalem. In the nearly 2,000 years since, the number of once dead that have been restored to life, number in the billions. Jesus calls people out of their dead, have-lived existences to new and full life.

"Take Off His Grave Clothes!"

They would have unwound the strips of perfumed cloth to reveal a newly alive man. Obviously, he couldn't be a walking mummy the rest of his life! Yet, I'm afraid spiritually, emotionally, mentally and relationally, we tend to do just that. We wear our grave clothes - the patterns of behavior and speech that have zapped the life out of us, the resentments over past experiences that weigh us down like a ball and chain, the attitudes that have kept us all hung up and wrapped up. Did you notice that that Lazarus could not do this on his own? He needed help from those around him. What if one of the things we are called to do is help one another get rid of our grave clothes so that we are liberated into the fullness of life in Christ?

Lazarus lives and Jesus must die.

Many of the Jewish leaders convert and become Jesus followers. The defensive reaction of the main leadership is what we would expect. The plot to take Jesus' life goes into earnest. In other passages, the one who made this prophecy was Caiaphas. The high priest position was passed between him, Annas and other family members from year to year. When he says that for the sake of the nation, Jesus must die, John writes that Jesus would be dying for a lot more than that. Caiaphas was right, but he had no clue of what he was really saying. The real picture is John 3:16 - Jesus was dying for the salvation of the whole world.

"Weeping with Jesus" John 11:17-37

What is the shortest verse in the Bible? The answer: John 11:35. The verse says simply, "Jesus wept." It's actually a problematic verse. If he knew he was going to raise his good friend Lazarus, why is he crying? And why did he let them suffer like that? Part of this I could write off as John being a good story-teller, sharing it with us in such a way as to raise the tension and interest for what is about to happen. But the hurt and grief in both verses 21 & 32 is one I have heard over and over throughout my ministry.

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Particularly in tragic deaths of the young, people will ask, "Where was God in all this?" When I do a teenage or young adult funeral I always feel that God and the gospel are on trial. In every one of those experiences, the only resurrection I could offer was life beyond the grave, what Mary said in verse 24.

But this is not the only time that Jesus wept. Jesus wept over Jerusalem and its resistance to his message. There is strong evidence that Jesus wept at the cross including the fourth word from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He, too, experienced the apparent absence of God. Yes, he was quoting Psalm 22:1, but that doesn't make it any less intense. In the first case, Christ weeps because people will not respond to his initiative of love and they will suffer deeply because they do not (in just a generation,the Romans invaded Jerusalem leaving a horrible path of death and destruction). He is unable to control people's responses. In the second case, he experiences a sense of abandonment and endures extreme pain that actually kills him earlier than the other crucified ones.

Some preachers have said that Jesus wept at Lazarus' grave because of the lack of faith of the people. I don't buy it. What if he is identifying with their grief and pain just like he identified with the sinfulness of people and their helplessness to change themselves at his baptism? The weeping Jesus is for me an important image. Then when we question or feel abandoned, we know that he has been there. I still think that Jesus weeps with us. In Isaiah 53, the suffering servant (in whom Christians see an amazing picture of what Jesus went through) is a "man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." In Hebrews 4:14-16, Jesus is the high priest who goes into heaven still able to sympathize with our weaknesses and our griefs.

Sometimes I think our empty crosses in Protestant churches are a problem. They allow us to jump too quickly to victory and ignore the suffering Christ. Then we have no one to suffer with. We never weep alone. We weep with Jesus.